1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle pedal arm and, more particularly, to a one or two piece pedal arm assembly, preferably with integral pedal pad.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional vehicle pedal arm assembly is illustrated in FIG. 1. Thus, it is typical for a vehicle pedal arm assembly 1 to have a pedal arm 2 formed from a thick steel sheet. A tubular hub 3 is passed through a hole in the pedal arm 2 and is mechanically fastened in place. A pivot pin is passed through the tubular hub so that the arm is free to rotate about the pivot pin. Typically a spacer 4 is inserted to fill any gap between the pivot pin and the tubular hub. A pedal pad 5, to which force is applied in use is welded to the arm 2. Finally, a linkage pin 6 is coupled to the pedal arm 2 and connects the pedal arm 2 to the master cylinder.
In the structure depicted in FIG. 1, the outside diameter of the tubular hub of the spacer is determined by the minimum diameter hole that can be economically manufactured in the pedal arm. This minimum diameter is typically a function of the pedal arm thickness. The use of a large diameter tube forces the use of a larger than necessary pivot pin in terms of its diameter and/or liners or secondary spacers to fill any void between the pin and the tubular hub. The foregoing characteristics result in additional assembly operations, which add to labor and material costs.